This invention relates to ringbinders for holding sheets of paper and other similar material in which holes are punched, and more particularly to a ring binder assembly for use in such ringbinders.
In co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 414,207/08 filed March 31, 1995, there is described an arch ring binder assembly used to hold and store punched sheets of paper, and other suitably punched materials, in a ringbinder. The ringbinders with which the assembly described therein is used are larger size ringbinders such as may be found in a variety of commercial applications. That is, ringbinders for storing pages of catalog information sheets, "spec" sheets, etc. And, because there is a constant flow of information, it is important that the material be safely stored so that the latest information is available to a user. It is not uncommon that information sheets which are replaced also be stored, and that this information, although it can become voluminous, be safely stored for ready reference. As noted, previous ringbinders were not very efficient for the storage of the substantial quantity of paper which had to be dealt with. Problems such as "sponginess" (caused by excess paper in a binder tending to pull binder segments apart) resulted in mishaps which are readily avoided by use of a ringbinder such as described in the aforementioned co-pending patent application and the current invention.
In addition to resolving the above described problems, it sometimes occurs that material installed in a ringbinder is intended to be left there permanently. Or, it also sometimes occurs that material stored in an expensive ringbinder (leather covered, for example) needs to be added to with the new material now exceeding the capacity of the ringbinder. Given the expense of the ringbinder, it would be wasteful to discard it when it should be possible to readily increase its capacity. This can be done relatively inexpensively, while the same time insuring that material permanently stored in the bingbinder is safely stored.